How to Winterize Your Gas Grill

Now that we’ve fully entered the winter season, most of us won’t spend nearly as much time using our gas grills as we do during the rest of the year. In fact, you may not even use your grill at all throughout the winter. Whether its use doesn’t decrease at all in winter, or its usage drops all the way down to zero, there are a few things you’ll want to do to winterize your grill.

The first step you’ll want to take is to thoroughly clean the grill. Turn it on, with the heat on high for about 15-20 minutes. This should burn off all the big chunks of food that may still be clinging to the grate. Once it’s cooled down a tad, take your grill brush and scrub any remaining food debris off of it. After it has completely cooled, you might want to apply some soapy water on the really tough spots. After this, it is a good idea to remove all the different parts of the grill, such as the cooking grids, warming racks, flame tamers, and any other parts, and give those a good cleaning as well.

Once the cleaning is complete, you’ll need to protect your grill from the elements. At the very least, using a properly sized grill cover is necessary, but ideally, you’ll want to bring it to a cool, dry place that will shelter it from any rain or snow. Before storing your grill, you’ll need to disconnect the propane tank and turn off the gas. The propane tank itself doesn’t need to be kept inside, as it can withstand temperatures as cold as -50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Occasionally throughout the winter, you should take a visit to inspect the grill to ensure no bugs or unwanted critters have decided to call your grill home. These steps should protect your grill and keep it in proper working order, so when the Spring time rolls around, you’re ready right away to start grilling once again.